WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th August, 2019) US police continue to investigate reports of an armed man seen inside the headquarters of media company Gannett near Washington after they confirmed that no shots have been fired, Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler said on Wednesday.
"Shortly before noon time today, we got a 911 call from the Gannett building ... that a former employee was observed in the building armed with a weapon," Roessler said at a press conference outside the building in the Washington suburb of McLean, Virginia. "Right now, we do not have any reports of shots being fired."
The police chief said that officers are currently searching the office building floor by floor and are evacuating individuals who are sheltered in place.
Roessler said that police have not been able to verify the reports of an armed man inside the building, but they are treating the event as an active shooter situation.
Newspaper USA Today, which is owned by Gannett, reported that that 911 call of an armed man inside the building appears to be a false alarm, citing authorities.
Gannett on Monday announced that it will merge with GateHouse Media in a deal valued at roughly $1.4 billion.
